[dana_janssen]

rvm still has more traction in the community and the end result is going to be very similar to rbenv for the majority of users--except that rvm has a built-in rubies installer + gemsets, which can make things easier for beginners to dive in and access other projects. New users should probably stick to rvm.

[latortuga]

I tend to think that rvm is overkill for beginners. If you're really just getting started, installing ruby and rubygems is what you should stick to and adding steps like "install rvm" "install a ruby" "create a gemset" just add potential points of failure and frustration.

What is it about having gemsets that makes it easier for a beginner? Bundler seems to handle installing dependencies just fine.

[codenerdz]

gemsets are especially important for beginners that will be trying out lots of different codebases with different gem dependencies.

With rvm you can create a gemset just for that project youre testing out. Imagine trying to work with different projects that have different versions of ruby, different versions of rubygems and different versions of rails, some gems from github, some gems from source, some gems from rubygems.

A beginner would not be able to sort through the dependency mess this creates. Gemsets help you avoid this nightmare.

[bonzoesc]

Gemfiles and bundler solve the same problem, in a way that works with Rails and gem development and that doesn't require extra stuff jammed into your shell.